best wood for speaker cabinets ? oak,cherry, balti


I am getting ready to build the Audio Note Kit 3 speakers and have the plans to build them.I am a woodworker and have built quite a few cabinets.

I am curious to find out if there is a better wood to use for these cabinets. The original plans called for mdf but now they (AN) recommend baltic birch.

I am curious to know if solid cherry, oak or walnut might be better.

Anyone know?
128x128mattzack2
"Do you really believe that kit speaker was designed to have sound of it's own especially when before same box was called to be made of MDF?"

That is my understanding, but I could be wrong, though this is a common theme I have heard regarding Audionotes.

Tonian is another brand that follows this admittedly minority design approach using baltic birch, I believe as well. That is where I heard of it first.

From wikipedia article on birch wood:

"Tonewood

Baltic Birch is among the most sought after wood in the manufacture of speaker cabinets. Birch has a natural resonance that peaks in the high and low frequencies, which are also the hardest for speakers to reproduce. This resonance compensates for the roll-off of low and high frequencies in the speakers, and evens the tone. Birch is known for having "natural EQ."

Drums are often made from Birch. Prior to the 1970s, Birch was one of the most popular drum woods. Because of the need for greater volume and midrange clarity, drums were made almost entirely from maple until recently, when advancements in live sound reinforcement and drum microphones have allowed the use of Birch in high volume situations. Birch drums have a natural boost in the high and low frequencies, which allow the drums to sound fuller.

Birch wood is sometimes used as a tonewood for semi-acoustic and acoustic guitar bodies and occasionally used for solid-body guitar bodies. Birch wood is also a common material used in mallets for keyboard percussion."
A Jazz drummer friend has an old pair of Sonor drums I believe, solid rosewood! Were very expensive at the time. Anyway, back to speakers.
As I recall, Audio Note speakers evolved from MDF to Baltic Birch for a reason. The drivers and the minimally-braced Baltic Birch cabinet are designed to work as a unit. The interaction has been likened to the way a stringed instrument projects its sound. While it might be fun to experiment with different cabinet materials, it is not how (and why) the speaker was designed to produce its characteristic sound.
That is correct. I have a pair of older Audio Note AN/J speakers with the MDF and particleboard construction that are at least 15 years old. I haven't heard the newer baltic birch versions but they are reputed to sound better with the change in cabinet material alone. Go with the recommended birch.
I found this article that makes extensive comparison between birch plywood and MDF:

http://www.tnt-audio.com/clinica/cabinet_walls_e.html

To my surprise they found birch to be better. 11-ply Baltic Birch plywood might be good.
Thank you all very much for your great comments.
I have decided to build the first pair cabinets to the Audio Note spec.

I have to say that I was very impressed with so many of your comments and knowledge. We have a very valuable team here in Audiogon in our diverse and passionate views with our hobby.

Thank you all.
Matt